Track and field: Flyers fly at home meet

Saturday, the Northwest Flyers Track Club hosted it's annual home meet at Rice Stadium with around 35 different youth track clubs from across the state of Texas.

The all day meet brought in over 2,500 youth athletes ranging from ages 8 to 18 and over 5,000 fans in attendance.

"Overall, we had a great meet with great track performances, and a spirited crowd cheering remarkably loud all day," meet director Pal Roach said. Roach is also one of the head coaches of the Flyers club.

Roach said the meet was originally schedule at Klein stadium but was moved to Rice Stadium due to ongoing construction.

"Rice University offered a wonderful opportunity for youth athletes to compete at a premier college track facility which just last week hosted the Conference USA Outdoor College Track & Field Championships." Roach said.

Through the day, the Flyers as a team obtained 12 gold medals. Ten individual and two relay competitions including the 9-10-year-olds boys 4x400 relay. One of the Flyers, Tori Mack, won two medals in the shot put and discus in the 17-18 year old women's division.

Roach said the Flyers will be in action this weekend at a meet at Butler Stadium. Then later in June, they will compete in the Houston area championship June 24-25, followed by a state-wide championship in Arlington July 5-9, then the U.S. Olympic Junior National Championship July 26-August 1st held in Wichita, Kan.

Roach said that in order to qualify for the National Championship in Wichita, an athlete must place in the top 5 in their event at the state-wide championship. But Roach was confident that it they will happen.

"We think we will qualify 50 or more Northwest Flyers athletes to the Junior Olympics National Championship in Wichita," Roach said.